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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted at 11:18 a.m., Friday, September 6, 2002

Wallace alert after brain surgery

Advertiser Staff

University of Hawaii men's basketball coach Riley Wallace was awake and alert after undergoing brain surgery today in Las Vegas, according to a University Medical Center spokesman.

The spokesperson said Wallace, 60, was in fair condition and is expected to remain hospitalized through the weekend.

According to Wallace's daughter, Kim Haynes, the surgical procedure was completed at about 9 a.m. Hawai'i time.

She said no one in the family has been able to speak with him since the surgery.

But Joan Wallace said her husband woke up yesterday morning complaining of a severe headache. She said he felt dizzy, and had difficulty standing.

He was taken to the medical center, where he underwent several medical tests. Joan Wallace said her husband was diagnosed with a hematoma, a swelling filled with blood, that was putting pressure on his brain.

She said her husband had complained of headaches for three weeks and that doctors suspected the hematoma was caused by a bump.

He competed in a charity golf tournament in Los Angeles Tuesday, then drove with friends that night to Las Vegas for a meeting with hotel mogul Bill Boyd, a UH booster. Boyd is considering sponsoring several UH events.

Wallace was scheduled to travel on Boyd's private jet to Utah today to attend the UH football team's nationally televised game against Brigham Young.